[Spoilers] Sky Castle E15 preview!

1.[+863, -51] Hye Na’s death is too salty. In the end, it seems that the weakest link is that Hye Na was sacrificed to show us our reality

2.[+554, -56] The killer seems to be her father Kang Joon Sang. Hye Na waited for someone on the balcony before she was killed and touched the wall with an exciting look on her face while also wandering around. Hye Na has no feelings for Woo Joo and all she wants is to be recognized as a daughter to her father, that’s why she was waiting for Kang Joon Sang. He didn’t want to lose his honor and family so he killed her out of greed…Kim Joo Young recorded Ye Seo’s phone call that’s why the police think she is the killer so the family will break down.

3.[+321, -21] Since she just fell, there is a possibility she will be alive, it looks like she died but Hye Na will never die

4.[+227, -31] Hye Na will sacrifice herself to reveal the ugliness of the castle.

5.[+155, -28] It looks like she tried to kill herself to screw Yum Jung Ah…Anyway, Hye Na doesn’t have anything to lose anymore, so she tried to commit suicide and blame it on her (Yum Jung Ah).

6.[+58, -5] You don’t know the basics of drama…If you are looking for a twist, the person with a motive will never kill Hye Na…Hye Na fell on her own…

7.[+50, -2] It’s true that Hye Na committed suicide, Castle people are fighting each other till they destroy themselves and that’s what Hye Na aimed for.

8.[+48, -2] Woo Joo is the one who got hurt the most … if he knew Hye Na’s intentions…

9.[+42, -2] She committed suicide on Woo Joo’s birthday out of all the days…

10.[+21, -1] Even though it’s a drama, I still don’t think she sacrificed herself…

tv.Naver: [Episode 15 preview] I will show you what a real headache is

1.[+4568, -22] Castle people are biting each other because of Hye Na’s death…

2.[+4234, -31] ㄷㄷㄷ It’s really a masterpiece that comes out once in ten years.

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I know it sounds cruel, but if Hyena died by herself (not by murder or manslaughter by any of SKY Castle residents), things will be better for Kang Joon Sang family. All of them (minus Ye Bin) will benefit from the tragedy. But this is suspectedly murder, right? Anyhow, knowing Hyena, I wont be surprised if she really jumped by herself. She is very smart, very determined, very brave, manipulative, opportunistic, doesnt seem to be afraid to die, and doesnt have anything to loose.

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These were the 10 hottest South Korean drama series during the first week of this month, according to big-data analyst Good Data Corporation’s weekly monitoring report.

Sky Castle, drama

“Sky Castle” held onto the top position as the most-talked-about TV series in South Korea for the fourth consecutive week, accounting for nearly a third of the online conversations. This figure is determined by the volume of articles and blog posts written about it, as well as reactions on social media and in online communities.

The latest episode, which aired Saturday, was the most watched to date, drawing in nearly 16 percent of the viewership. The show’s growing popularity has spilled over onto the internet and inspired a plethora of memes and videos.

The show garnered praise from both critics and viewers over its dark but humorous depiction of the country’s education craze. There are six more episodes to come.

Spoiler

Memories of the Alhambra, sci-fi

The 16-episode sci-fi suspense drama featuring Hyun Bin and Park Shin-hye was the second most discussed last week. Billing itself as the first show to center on augmented reality games in Korea, “Memories of the Alhambra” is packed with sword fights and exotic Spanish scenery.

Hyun plays Yoo Jin-Woo, the CEO of an investment company, who travels to Granada after being contacted by an AR game developer about a groundbreaking project. Yoo’s business trip does not go as planned, however, and he gets entangled in a mysterious incident involving a fight with a friend-turned-rival.

The Last Empress, thriller

SBS’ flagship Wednesday-Thursday series has consistently proved to be a ratings success for the TV network.

Actress and songstress Jang Na-ra plays Oh Ssu-ni, who plays a musical actress on the show. Set in a modern-day Korea that is still a monarchy in the show’s alternative reality, Oh marries her way into the royal family and becomes the wife of Emperor Lee Hyuk.

She enters the palace against the backdrop of rampant corruption in the country and falls in love with a bodyguard from the imperial family. Having found true love, she rebels against the royal family.

Encounter, romance

The tvN romance series began with a bang as the first episode broke the record for the most watched first episode of any show on the drama-focused cable channel.

Starring Song Hye-kyo, who returned to the small screen nearly three years after “Descendants of the Sun,” the show centers on a relationship between a hotel CEO and her newly employed assistant played by Park Bo-gum.

The two cross paths in a chance meeting far away from home in Cuba. In a separate ranking from last week, Park and Song were named the most-talked-about cast members of a TV series, leaving behind the likes of Hyun Bin from “Memories of the Alhambra” and Kim Bo-ra from “Sky Castle.”

Children of Nobody, thriller

Actress Kim Sun-a plays counselor Cha Woo-kyung, who works with children, in MBC thriller series “Children of Nobody.” The 32-episode show, which began in late November, has just six more episodes to go. Over the course of the last two months, viewers saw Cha unravel mysteries surrounding a child by finding clues in poems.

My Only One, drama

This long-running weekend series began airing on KBS2 in September. Seasoned actor Choi Soo-jong stars opposite singer and actress Uee as a father who meets his daughter after 28 years. The two untangle the secrecy surrounding their relationship, providing a new twist on the classic theme in Korean drama that is family affairs.

The Crowned Clown, drama

This is a TV adaptation of the megahit film “Masquerade” from 2012. Just like the original film, the show is set in the Joseon Dynasty. In the face of mounting opposition, a clown named Ha Sun, who looks indistinguishable from King Yi Heon, is brought in to impersonate the king and prevent an assassination.

Quiz of God: Reboot, crime

The last episode of OCN’s nighttime thriller airs this week after two months during which viewers saw forensic doctor Han Jin-woo return to his job after four years and wrestle with mysterious investigations. The show is the latest installment of the cable channel’s “Quiz of God” series, with the first season dating back to 2010, which makes for good binge watching.

My Strange Hero, romance

Boasting a star-studded cast including Yoo Seung-ho, who rose to fame as a child actor, the romantic comedy sees Kang Bok-soo, whose name translates to “revenge,” return to school as an adult to avenge himself after being wrongfully expelled following false accusations of violence.

Top Star U-back, comedy

A top actor who goes into hiding and a young rough-around-the-edges islander girl make for relaxed TV viewing. Yoo Baek is a self-centered former idol who has taken shelter in a small island town to avoid the spotlight after a major scandal. Oh Kang-soon has a few lessons up her sleeve for the star.

JTBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “Sky Castle,” which centers on Korea’s overheated educational system, has been creating a buzz since its launch on Nov. 23. But beyond its depiction of the educational system, the story is about the importance of parenting and trials and tribulations of parenthood.

The drama revolves around the lives of housewives living in a luxurious residential area called Sky Castle in suburban Seoul. The name is also a reference to the country’s top three universities: Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University.

Poster for JTBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “Sky Castle” (JTBC)

The wealthy tiger moms, wives of doctors and an ex-politician, are determined to see their children enter Korea’s top medical school no matter what it takes. Money is no issue for them.

Seasoned actress Yum Jung-ah plays Han Seo-jin, a woman desperate for success. Upon getting married, she hired fake parents for herself to hide her poor background. Han’s utmost desire is for her daughter to be accepted into Seoul University’s School of Medicine and win the approval of her own mother-in-law.

Desperate, Han hires an elite “university admissions coordinator,” even giving her gold bars to get her attention. This leads to tragedy. Now, after a series of events, her daughter trusts the coordinator even more than she trusts her own mother.

The mysterious coordinator Kim Ju-young, played by actress Kim Seo-hyung, has a secret. Two families she assisted in the past are in despair over suicides.

The drama series has drawn positive reviews as a black comedy that casts light on some of the darker portions of Korean society. Viewers were surprised when a bank invited its “VVIP” customers to introduce them to Kim. Han even intervened in the class president polls to get her daughter elected.

The drama avoids being corny by putting a fresh spin on classical plot devices. For example, Kim Hae-na is the hidden daughter of Han’s husband, which risks turning the series into just another Korean drama about “birth secrets.”

But Hae-na refuses to be a cliched character, breaking the unwritten law of Korean drama that all poor characters have to be sweet and kind.

Hae-na is smart and cunning, manipulating her peers and even the adults around her. The latest episode took an unexpected turn though, as she took her own life.

But it is more than just the education craze that has viewers gaga over the series. Beneath the surface, the show is about parenthood -- the hardships and importance of raising children.

The drama’s larger-than-life young characters go to extremes. Han’s daughter is impulsive, ignorant and arrogant. Han taught her to be proud of her genes and believe she is special because she has inherited superior genes.

Another example: In the latest episode, a family is in distress after learning that the daughter lied about attending Harvard University for a year. She had faked admission to the Ivy League school. Her confession shows how she was pressured by her father and thought she had to prove her worth even if by lying.

Viewers can empathize with the characters, having experienced their own conflicts with parents or children.

Even outside the “Sky Castle,” parents and children find themselves in arguments over different ways of thinking. From children’s view, parents think they own them, treating them as mere belongings. On the other side, parents think children are ungrateful for all they provide.

The series saw its ratings rise from 1.7 percent viewership for its pilot episode in November to 15.8 percent on Saturday, according to Nielsen Korea. Ratings have risen consistently each week. It also broke the highest viewership rating for a JTBC drama, which previously marked 12.06 percent for “Woman of Dignity” in 2017.

Though initially created as a 16-episode drama, JTBC added four extra episodes as a result of the series’ growing popularity. The 20-part drama has six episodes left.

1.+699, -34 Kim Junsang is such an as*hole ㅜㅜ He knows aboutHyenabut he still abandoned her ㅠ

2.+325, -9 Kim Junsang was too much.. He gave me goosebumps...... WhenHyenawas about to die she wanted to hold her dad's hand, but he completely ignored her ㅠㅠ

3.+318, -62 I knew that Kim Junsang has always been an b*stard...ㅠㅠHyenais so pitiful

4.+77, -5 Seriously Seri........ Ha....... I totally understand what her father feels. I get it if she worked hard but couldn't get into university, but she lied and lied and only used her dad's money for fun ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ How can she be so shameless and say that her dad can't achieve it too????????? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Seriously!!!!!!! Yahh!!!!!!!!!!

5.+33, -0 Kang Junsang-ie is the worst trash

6.+32, -4 Hyenaknowshow to survive, she probably fell by herself...... Because ofHyenaSKY Castle is a mess, in conclusion, she probably committed suicide

7.+43, -17 Aigoo Woojoo and Youngjae being rude to their parents just because of a girl.....

8.+20, -0 The adult mafia game was so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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SKY Castle is now the highest-rating program ever aired on a general cable network. (NOTE: General Cable networks are composed of JTBC, Channel A, MBN and TV Chosun, which were launched in 2011) Will it become the highest-rating cable program ever?

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SKY Castle is now the highest-rating program ever aired on a general cable network. (NOTE: General Cable networks are composed of JTBC, Channel A, MBN and TV Chosun, which were launched in 2011) Will it become the highest-rating cable program ever?

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I'm watching EP 15 with subs now and but got to say... yeseo was terrible for bringing up that conversation at breakfast - just so she could act smug at hyena. She really made me feel bad for Hyena, having to sit there knowing her father would never recognize her and still getting told by yeseo "no one told her to be born that way". Thought that was totally out of line given the child doesn't get to choose, yeseo was just lucky to have been so privileged since she was born. How can she be a doctor in the future?? Does she only want to treat the rich and fortunate or something??

Find it hard to be happy with a good ending for her and her mum....

Although the show basically confirmed none of the parents did it... I hope Han Suhjin still gets some punishment for obstructing the investigation - purposely throwing away Hye na's handphone and laptop, getting rid of the photo.

I feel bad the most for Woojoo - he saw Hye Na alive, go untreated and die, after all the adults tell him don't worry. Got to be terrible for his mental state. Please dont let there be a cruel twist here with him being the murderer!

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What we know...SC is a gated community, like the Detective said, whoever killed her (and she was pushed, had it been suicide she would've climbed the railing) had to have had access so chances are it's a resident. I thought Coach Kim or Teacher Jo too (they were 20min late so it was plausible that they could've killed her). But they would've had to get through the Guards (?) at the gate? I vaguely remember there being Guards at the gate, could be wrong.

WooJoo looked too happy as he entered the balcony to have been the killer. He was going to meet her. SeRi and HyeNa had already made up after the fight so that leaves her out. YeSuh? Too obvious a choice. None of the other children had motives.

The 3 ladies were all at the musical which coincidentally is Phantom of the Opera. The masked Phantom desires for his muse Christine Dae (his obsession) to take the stage and so tries to do away with the more established Carlotta so that Christine can take her place.

SJ and Prof Kang were at the dinner with Coach Kim so they can't really have had the opportunity.

That leaves us with Prof Woo (who knows about HyeNa but honestly doesn't have a motive?) and Prof Cha. HyeNa ruined his dream by exposing SeRi as a fraud. Could he be the Phantom? He seems to be the most likely candidate.

But ultimately it was Prof Kang who let her die by insisting Prof Hwang perform surgery on the other child instead. Notice how he didn't even refer to HyeNa by name and Prof Hwang had to point it out to him...that she just wasn't a 'patient' she was HyeNa who lived and dined with their family. He has blood on his hands even if he wasn't the one who pushed her over the balcony railing. Poor HyeNa...I wept tears for her. Especially when poor YeBin was trying to make sense of it all and process it in her mind. Kudos to the child actresses. So gut wrenchingly real.

One last thing. HyeNa's last words were 'water'. That must be a clue... Does anyone have any ideas? Did someone mention 'water' significantly in a conversation with HyeNa? Hmm...

EDIT- the other really out there thought I did have was that Coach Kim 'programmed' YeSuh to act on command. Those meditation sessions look like hypnotherapy to me. She was able to convince a previous student to take his own life. What's stopping her from controlling YeSuh like a puppet with hypnosis? A bit of a stretch though

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@nrllee Interesting, coz I never once considered Prof Cha as one of the possible culrpits. One thing I just realised is that all the parents seem to think its one of the kids, but what if it one of them instead?

I felt from the scene when Hye Na was confirmed as dead, that Dr Kang knew she was his daughter, but was trying very hard to deny all existence. Did he feel some remorse at the end, I can't tell.

I'm sure the HyeNa's last words will come up again later. I'm hoping the hospital had CCTVs or something for someone to realise it was SeoJin who had picked up HyeNa's phone. Or the police be a tad more competent and use HyeNa's phone number or something to retrieve her last calls and messages.